How good is our squad? 2. Midfield

For me this is easy. We must keep the first 5 on the list at (almost) all costs.

I'm not sure Luke Cundle is going to make it with us. He's 22 now and might improve yet, but even if he did the competition, at the moment is very strong.

Lemina is the old man in our midfield at 31. He had a great season last year, but this season has been a bit wayward. I'm afraid that may be down to GON trying to play him everywhere, captain included. He is, however, still a very good player.

The other 4 are all only 23 and I hope we keep them. Joao Gomes, may well be attracting bids, but hopefully not until the summer.

Boubacar Traore is the enigma there really. Looks full of potential but for various reasons just hasn't had a decent run to establish himself.

Would want to keep five of those but not Cundle, he is a championship player at best.

Have you left the defence til last for a reason?

sussed

Only problem with this part of the team is that we can’t fit all of them into the team.

Joao is a star who will only get better. We will get big offers for him in the summer. Hope he will stay another season. Andre is too good not to be playing and can be a big player for us in the second half of the season. Lemina was superb last season and has been messed about this season playing up front, wide, in defence, and too rarely in his best position. Doyle has been so unlucky. Never has a poor game. His strength is playing long passes from deep and that isn’t a style that fits in our set up. Probably not mobile enough to play further forward. Traore was looking really good just before he got injured. Hope he can find that form quickly when he returns. Cundle would walk into most championship teams but difficult to see him getting in our team ahead of the other five. Why did GON persuade him not to go out on loan then never play him.

Our strongest area for me, we're blessed with talent in Gomes, Andre, Lemina and Doyle. Bouba can contribute as well, must admit I do like him but he does need to develop some discipline. Cundle is a talent too but hasn't had the games at the top level to prove himself.

On Lemina, as captain, I do think he got caught in GON'S meltdown and the emotion that came with that. I think he's a genuine guy that is capable of leading the team but he perhaps aligned himself too closely and loyally with a coach that had lost his way and who dragged him down with him to some extent.

Was interesting watching Andre marking Casemeiro at a corner last night and the banter between them.